Itsy Bisty Teenie Weenie Marquez Buggered Off, The Meanie

"Choose bikes. Choose MotoGP. Choose World Superbikes. Choose British Superbikes. Choose fucking speedway, choose Moto3, Moto2, World Supersport. Choose Cadwell Park, Oulton Park, or Brands Hatch. Choose camping in shit British weather. Choose a hotel down the road. Choose your paddock friends. Choose warm multi-layered clothing and a fancy cool box. Choose a massive caravan on hire purchase in a range of fucking colours. Choose no DIY and not wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning, waiting for Warm Up. Choose sitting on that banking watching watching endless Free Practice sessions just to get your bike fix, stuffing fucking picnic food into your mouth. Choose coming away on Sunday at the end of it all, all excited and happy as you head home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves as race fans. Choose your future. Choose bikes... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose to choose bikes. I didn't choose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got bikes?"
by Dave Neal, aged 45 and a bit.

All the hype, all the social media arguments that STILL bubble on preceded what turned out to be the most boring MotoGP race of the season so far - yes, I know we're only three rounds in but still... Even the undoubted three place grid demotion for Marc Marquez couldn't really add the necessary excitement to proceedings such was his advantage around the red, white and blue-bedecked dust bowl just outside Austin. "Not-a-maniac-just-a caravan" Iannone had one big attempt to upset the rhythm of the pesky Spaniard in the opening lap but, yeah, unsurprisingly it didn't quite work. Credit to Iannone though, he's really stepped it up since the Lorenzo-to-Suzuki rumours began. Can't think why...

The 'Horsepower Rodeo' was little more than a glorified procession for the majestic Marc Marquez and his Repsol Honda around CotA, and really, was it ever in doubt?! Not really. 11 races unbeaten on American soil before Sunday, turning left really suits the mercurial Spaniard. Texas was a glimpse at how the start to the season could possibly have panned out but for the Ducati-favouring Qatar circuit and the shenanigans in Argentina. 

MotoGP in 2018 so far appears to have flattered to deceive; other rider's misfortunes have opened up the championship battle for early flyaway honours before the 'regular' part of the season kicks off at Jerez next time out. But really, who is going to stop Marquez other than Marc himself because, to be fair to the fella, he's doing his best to give the rest a bit of a chance with time and grid penalties in successive races! The reigning World Champion has the bit between his teeth, determined to dominate the title race and looking at his form over the last two races, it has been a shot across the bows for anyone with even half an eye on a championship challenge.

I know it's a long 19-race season and we're only three rounds in but let's be honest (this isn't a #93 love-in, by the way), while there have been glimpses shown by the chasing pack that they're not THAT far away - well, apart from Jorge Lorenzo obviously, he's frikkin' MILES away - is it enough? The Yamahas of both Rossi and Viñales seem to have finally exorcised the demons of 2017 with a welcome return to the podium over the weekend for the precocious talent of the #25. Mav was as exuberant as I've seen him in a long time after the race and it's he who I think will take the fight to #93 as the season unfolds, not discounting Rossi completely or title challenger of last year, Dovi, I just think that a happy Maverick Viñales is a very fast Maverick Viñales and who's due more MotoGP glory after the that epic start to 2017 turned in to utter tripe. I feel he will have the measure of his illustrious team mate at most rounds. I'm probably wrong but we'll see. 

The Great MotoGP Seat Swap is proving a real conundrum this season. After the relatively average silly season of last year the line up for 2019 is anyone's guess... well, apart from Movistar Yamaha, anyway! The second seat at Repsol Honda is the main focus for most learned observers (so, not me - at least the 'learned' bit anyway!) and with it being reported that Johann Zarco signed for for the Factory KTM squad for 2019/2020 at CotA, that's one less rider to fill any gap that may arise with the HRC squad. There is too much to go in to in this episode of my ramblings, the permutations are long and protracted but nevertheless really, really interesting but they're for another day.

Speaking of really, really interesting - World Superbikes was exactly that this weekend. From a scintillating Qualifying session to a hard-fought race one and a runaway winner (but not the one you'd expect!) in race two with a mighty battle raging behind him, it was another good weekend for the seemingly rejuvenated series. A glorious first Pole Position for Alex Lowes to then becoming the unluckiest man in Holland (after poor Werner from Weisbaden who got his weiner wedged in his zip while window shopping in the 'Dam). It was a bitter pill to swallow for my fellow Yellowbelly (a what?! This...) but he'll bounce back. Just as in MotoGP, the Yamahas are really coming strong in WorldSBK - gotta call it that, they get a bit sniffy if you call it WSB) partly in thanks to the rule changes but I suspect mainly to the revised electronics package on the R1. One conundrum though, Tom Sykes can lead a race from the front in imperious style but appears to struggle when it's time to battle? Good to see a different Kawasaki on the top step, however briefly it'll be!

The Bennett's British Superbike Championship - it still feels strange calling it that - continued it's rich vein of form at Brands Hatch a week or so ago. Shakey Byrne was really, really happy and Leon Haslam equally so as they took the spoils around the Indy circuit as tyre issues once again became a real bugbear for some, despite measures being introduced to retain a level playing field in terms of black round rubber. Hopefully the issues will be solved before Oulton Park in a couple of weeks time (there's an official test there on Thursday) and that the weather can be either one thing or the other in that leafy, affluent corner of Cheshire. Bright and sunny preferably! Even as a proud Lincolnshireman, Oulton Park is an equal favourite circuit of mine next to our own Cadwell Park and all I ask for is a dry, warmish (I burn easily; Snetterton seems to prove that every chuffing year!) weekend for some mega racing in every class as the series heads towards the Roads break.

Thanks for reading.

Exciting Times Coming!

Hello and welcome to the latest installment of StrawBales.

As I sit here contemplating the run in to the end of the season I must remain positive in my thoughts, it would be so easy to be drawn in to the negative aspects and disappointments of the season drawing to a close with WSB done and BSB almost done. There is still so much left undecided, even if some Championships are seemingly somewhat of a foregone conclusion, ie Moto's 2 & 3, but with MotoGP retaining some semblance of a fight to the finish there is still all to play for for Messrs Lorenzo and Pedrosa and the British Superbikes boys are again taking it to the wire.

This weekend in Japan we see the return of the current World Champion Casey Stoner to the fray and in his own words is feeling 'good and fresh' from his injury recuperation but freely admits that FP1 will be crucial in finding out how his ankle truly fairs and just how much weight transfer he can apply. It's good to have the Aussie back as I know the championship fight has missed him, and fans have certainly missed his style, he would certainly have had a big bearing on the current points standings.

As expected, and in the light of the Eugene Laverty/Max Biaggi farce in World Superbikes at Magny Cours, the spectre of 'team orders' was raised with the straight-talking Aussie and his reply said it all... 'HRC haven't asked me to help Dani and I don't think they will, I've said in the past I think championships should be won outright...' says it all really, and who in their right mind would argue..?

Dani goes well at Motegi and is the only rider to win there in all 3 classes, which is a feat in itself, and with it being Hondas home circuit you can be sure they'll be pulling out the stops to ensure there's a repeat of Dani's runaway win last season, with Casey second in an ideal world, no offence intended to Lorenzo fans anywhere but purely to keep the season alive!

There's also a big anniversary on race day, it will be 11 years exactly that Valentino Rossi clinched his first premier class crown on his Nastro Azzzuro Honda NSR500 down at Phillip Island in what was the closest race finish in years with the top nine covered by three seconds...oh to have that kind of racing today! 

Incidentally three of those in that top nine finish were Japanese riders, a contingent that is largely absent from the three Grand Prix classes today and the series is somewhat the poorer for it. Mad samurai warriors like the Aoki's, Harada, Ui, Tsujimura, 'cheese n' Tamada, Haga, Aoyama et al were a sight to behold in full flight and hopefully it won't be too long before we see a new batch of fast Japanese riders like Takaaki Nakagami in Moto2 and female rider Yui Watanbe in the Red Bull Rookies Cup series becoming regular championship contenders..

I have to say it's great to see Danny Kent get his opportunity in Moto2 with Tech3 for 2013, he was beginning to suffer from the same handicap as fellow county-man Scott Redding with his height becoming a bit of hindrance against the continental pocket rockets, so this opportunity will be a breath of fresh air for the Gloucestershire youngster (what do they put in the water down there?!). Also if you look at how Bradley Smith has performed on a bike with almost no development (regardless of your thoughts on how talented he is/isnt) and what is essentially a nail of a bike compared to the Kalex and Suter chassis of the Moto2 world, then the future looks bright for the Danny. Could we see him make the MotoGP step in two years? I wouldn't bet against it...

World Superbikes rounded off the season at Magny Cours last weekend in typically dramatic fashion. Aprilia's Max Biaggi held a healthy 30+ point advantage over Tom Sykes going in to the weekend but inclement weather and an uncharacteristic slip in race one from the Roman and a strong third place for Sykes meant it was all to play for in race two. Sykes did all he could do by winning the race and hoped Biaggi finished lower than 5th for the Yorkshireman to take the crown but it wasn't to be and the Italian maestro took his second World Superbike crown by 0.5 points, the closest points margin possible (as a dead-heat requires race win countback). 

There was an out-pouring of emotion on social media networks in favour of Tom winning the championship but, to be honest, it was actually Max's to lose with the points gap he had. If Tom won both races and Max followed him home both times the gap would still have been over 20 points so to say Tom lost the title is harsh on Biaggi, regardless of thoughts on his (lack of) personality. Sykes had a fantastic season, make no mistake - the teams goal back in February at Phillip Island was to finish in the Top 5, mission accomplished you would say. Bring on 2013!

This weekend, however, in a sleepy corner of the 'Garden of England' at Brands Hatch, the six Showdown contenders for the 2012 British Superbike title will fight it out over three races to see who will be finally crowned king. Shane Byrne leads the way by 9 points from uber-consistent Aussie Josh Brookes with Silverstone double-winner Alex Lowes 15 points adrift of Brookes in third and reigning champ Tommy Hill realistically, but not mathematically, out of the battle 18 points in arrears of the Lincolnshire twin. The remaining contenders of Laverty and Bridewell unfortunately, I believe, are too far back to make an impression on the top three in the championship although they can both have a big say on the race results as they're both capable of podium finishes - Bridewell was particularly quick at Brands last year on a Honda Firebalde that was actually five years old and was immediately retired after the race so, regardless of points standings, we have a minimum of six riders who all have podium potential, what a prospect!

For me its all in Shakey's hands, a double race win there at the summer round back in July and a host of dominant race wins prior to that must be ominous for the chasing pack although I have to say he was pushed well by Brookes and Hill that weekend and they weren't runaway wins by any means. Brookes was only .5s behind in race one and 1.5s in race two. Tommy Hill also has a strong record at Brands add Lowes to the mix and you have the makings of a race weekend to rival anything that happened last year...well...almost anyway, but this is motorcycle racing and anything can happen.

Byrne is in the ascendancy after his performances at Assen and Silverstone, where two of his main rivals each had rounds to forget - Hill with his starting grid crash in race one at Assen and Brookes at Silverstone who's Suzuki looked slightly down on power at the fast flowing venue, despite all his obvious efforts, compared to the Kawasaki and Honda he was chasing. Could Shakey have his off day this weekend, or was his off day at Cadwell Park in August? Has Brookes got what it takes to beat the Kent man in his own back yard or will Alex Lowes spring a further surprise, a 24 point deficit to claw back over three races is certainly achievable. It only takes a small mistake to put you on the back foot this weekend, as Brookes and Laverty will attest to from last year and if Hopper's bike hadn't reset itself on the opening lap of race two on the Sunday then race three would have had a whole different look to it...

The British Supersport title is far from over too, leathery Triumph-mounted Aussie Glen Richards holds a 12.5 point advantage over young Irish contender Jack Kennedy going in to the final two races this weekend. The Mar-Train Yamaha rider has had two rounds to forget at Assen and Silverstone after crashing out of at least one race each weekend so he has it all to do to turn his season back around and prove that the title-winning form he's shown wasn't just a flash in the pan and that he can over-come the smoothness and consistency of the old man of the series. Kennedy is definitely one for the future - whether that future goes through World Supersports or British Superbikes first is yet to be determined but he's definitely a star in the making. 

There are masses of 'if's', 'but's', 'maybe's', 'why's', 'wherefore's' and 'd'you mind if I don'ts' this weekend, possibly more than ever before as three riders can win the crown and the pressure will be at it's maximum for them all, so mistakes WILL be inevitable - how costly they are will remain to be seen. So, for those in the Eurosport coverage umbrella (sorry to you guys in South Africa who'd love to see BSB, yes that means you Ella!) for Saturday and Sunday afternoon make sure you've been to the toilet, take the phone off the hook, put a Do Not Disturb sign on the front door, if you're other half isn't in to racing sit them down and watch them change their mind (failing that throw them some cash and send them shopping, whether male or female!) and enjoy what will be possibly the most intense series of races you've ever witnessed.

I'll be there and, like a 5 year old child at Christmas, I absolutely can't wait!

Thanks for reading.

MotoGP Musings...

How time flies! It’s been a while since I managed to sit down and tap away on a keyboard to create another edition of Straw Bales...but finally here we are!

It’s been an interesting few weeks in the motorcycle racing world since the last instalment and far too much to cover in one blog without sending both of my dear readers to sleep (hi mum!) so I’ve decided to keep this one MotoGP-based mainly due to BSB being somewhat quiet and the TV coverage of Misano WSB confirming my thoughts of previous blogs!

The world of MotoGP has been in rumour-mill overdrive since Repsol Honda’s reigning World Champion Casey Stoner announced his intention to retire at the end of the current campaign. The permutations of the 2012 ‘Silly Season’ are innumerable and enough to make your head hurt if you pay too much attention to them. Aside to all the why’s, wherefores and do you mind if I dont’s there are three confirmed contracts for the 2013 MotoGP season - those of Bradley Smith’s with Tech 3 Yamaha, Stefan Bradl is one year in to a two year deal at LCR and the news released at Silverstone that Jorge Lorenzo has signed for 2 more seasons at Yamaha. So that’s 2 seats taken for definite next season, but the question mark over Smiths must remain.

As was pointed out to me by MotoPod Cast’s Martin Darlington, and with some delving it appears Smith himself metioned it on Eurosport coverage, the contract between Smith and Herve Poncheral is target-driven –  and not a slightly blinkered error of judgement to give the still-to-prove-himself Smith a seat at the second tier of the MotoGP table. In my opinion, and that’s all it is, I don’t believe Bradley has earned his place in MotoGP just yet. Save for one good season in the 125cc Championship back in 2009, ‘Bradders’ has failed to capitalise on his chances and put together a title-challenging run and prove his doubters – yes, people like me - wrong. I would be more than happy for Bradley to prove me wrong come the latter part of the season but since he stepped up to Moto2 it’s not been a stellar step in his career and he really needs to be challenging at the front of every race to be even considered for the step up.

It is clear to even the most casual observer that Great Britains other Moto2 rider, Scott Redding, is coming of age better than his compatriot so far in 2012 with two podiums to his name already and therefore should be better placed to step up to the big class for 2013 and hopefully with a two year contract that will allow him to learn then deliver.  His physical size notwithstanding, his riding style could be well suited to the brutal 1000(ish)cc powerhouses and I truly believe we have another star to follow in the footsteps of Cal Crutchlow.

Cal himself has done his prospects for 2013 no harm at all with his consistent top five finishes this season. He and his current team mate Andrea Dovizioso have one eye firmly on the other factory Yamaha M1 that may be vacated by Ben Spies at the end of the season unless he can turn round his poor early season form. The sticking point for anyone coveting Ben’s ride is his connection to the American motorcycle market, and Yamaha are more than aware of this, as is the way of the world the ‘sales & marketing’ machine is king and it’s sometimes more about that than pure talent.

Something else that came out at Silverstone was Dorna’s indication that the ‘Rookie Rule’ is likely to be abolished for 2013, paving the way for Repsol protégé Marc Marquez to replace Casey Stoner at HRC. It is accepted that Marquez will join the ranks of the MotoGP elite next term and nobody is under any illusion that he wont be on anything but full factory machinery so it makes sense for him to drop straight in to the Repsol Honda squad rather than field him out to Gresini Honda for one year, delaying the inevitable – which would leave any other potential replacement of Stoner on just a one year deal.

It was not long after the rumours of Lorenzo to Honda started to appear that HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto announced that they would not run two Spaniards in the same squad ( here ). This was obviously before Dorna began the backtrack on the ‘Rookie Rule’ and was released to quash those Lorenzo rumours, but now the goalposts have been moved does this now pave the way for a two man Spanish Repsol Honda title assault in 2013? Personally, I would like to see another nationality on the other RC213V although that’s unlikely as Dani Pedrosa is held in high regard by Honda and can’t see him accepting a sideways move to Gresini Honda for instance.

Valentino Rossi said on stage on Saturday night at Silverstone that the team are expecting a whole host of changes (again!) for the Laguna Seca round at the end of July. He categorically stated that as it stands now he will stay with Ducati for 2013 but if these parts do not make the desired changes then he will begin to look at potential options for next season instead. These options are just as full of ‘if’s, but’s and maybe’s’ and where he will go only Valentino knows. I can’t see him in any full factory squad other than the one he is in, that is unless Suzuki make a shock return 12 months earlier than originally planned.

There are other hungrier and currently faster riders who are above VR in the pecking order for rides next season, and they’re a damn sight cheaper too and come without the travelling circus that is VR’s entourage but they don’t yet posess the marketing potential of the Italian. There is also the question of crew. Valentino will undoubtedly want to bring his crew with him should he move on, the biggest question over this is will they actually want to? These guys have been travelling the world, winning title after title, for almost 20 years and with Jerry Burgess having understandable concerns at home and other crew members with growing families it’s not a given that ‘my guys’ will move with him. Plus after chasing their backsides and not getting very far for the last 18 months, this Ducati ‘adventure’ must be taking its toll on MotoGP’s most successful crew.

The absolute bottom line is nobody can say for certain where people will be sitting when the music stops, every week there is another angle to consider and another permutation we hadn’t thought of. I mean, Cal to Ducati? Scott Redding to Ducati? I know both have been courted by the Italian giants and both would fare well on their bikes but it again depends on what happens above them. Nothing major will happen until Valentino and Dani Pedrosa decide what they’re going to do. Apart from the addition of Marquez, it is a realistic possibility that seven of the top eight seats could actually remain static for another season, has anybody actually considered that...?

One thing that was really noticeable at Silverstone was the glaring speed difference between CRT and prototype motorcycles, CRT positively sluggish in comparison. To make CRT a viable option for up and coming riders from Moto2 or World Superbikes something needs to be done to bring the lesser bikes closer in terms of lap times to the satellite teams rather than just hanging on to their coat-tails. If a successful Moto2 rider had the option of CRT or another season as a Moto2 front runner I have no doubt what they would choose. If CRT was closer time-wise we would see more big name riders partaking in that category rather than Edwards and de Puniet as the star attractions and replacing riders like Pasini, Hernandez etc to further enhance the profile of the series.

CRT will come good, it has too – it may not be in the same guise though as rules need to be amended to further improve the spec and competitiveness of the machines in order to attract the class of rider needed to push it forward to the next level.

The championship overall is looking at this early stage like Lorenzo’s second major crown could be in the making, his podium run so far has been reminiscent of the campaign Stoner put in last season and he looks completely at ease with his M1 and his style smoother and more accurate than ever. Ominous.

As much as I love BSB, as much as I love watching them do their thing – there really is nothing to beat MotoGP. The sight of the world’s elite riders mastering the bucking (not in Jorge Lorenzo’s case I must add...smooth like butter) sliding pinnacles of motorcycle engineering excellence is an experience every race fan should have. The TV does not do the colours of the machines and riders leathers justice; they are the most intense colours you can imagine but the biggest thing of the whole experience is the noise! It goes right through you, a true assault on the senses – not just the sheer noise of acceleration of the machines but the noise they make under braking and the split-second gear changes are just mind-blowing. If you have never seen a MotoGP bike in action, make that trip to Silverstone next year, even if it’s just for Practice or Qualifying. I promise you wont regret it.

Thanks for reading.

Link courtesy of Autosport.com

MotoGP Thoughts...and a rant!

Finally, after 5 months of waiting the lights went out in Qatar and launched the 2012 MotoGP season.


The hype was building all weekend through Free Practice and Qualifying with the Aliens (minus one) consistently topping the time-sheets and our own Cal Crutchlow showing that his form in pre-season testing was no fluke.


The race itself was looking like continuing from where last season left off with Casey Stoner grabbing the lead and looking like he might break for home but a problem with arm-pump slowed his progress and the smooth-riding Mallorcan Jorge Lorenzo took a deserved victory from Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner in third and a second consecutive 4th Place finish for Cal Crutchlow.


Now for the bit that really matters....


Valentino Rossi had yet another weekend to forget. There are serious problems in that garage and no amount of Jeremy Burgess and crew magic is going to fix it. That Ducati looks like it needs to be ridden a certain way and unfortunately its not the way that Valentino rides...in fact it is completely the polar opposite! Nicky Hayden is finding the new GP12 a little easier to ride as his 'dirt track' loose rear riding style is more suited to the fickle-fronted Bologna Bullet.


VR places a lot of stress on the front of the bike, it's the way he's always ridden, and rather than adjust his riding style to suit the bike he's trying to do the complete opposite but with small changes to his style....and its not working! Clearly, as proven by his team-mate, it is not a bad bike but as to why Valentino can't adapt, only he really knows...


Does this mean the end of Vale? No I don't think so. Was the move to Ducati the wrong one? Yes I think so - but when you've burnt a few of your bridges like he has, then it was really the only move available when he decided to leave Yamaha.


Make no mistake, there is a New World Order. Heroes come and go. We've had Ago, Sheene, Roberts, Spencer, Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz, Doohan and VR, the bulk of which I've been lucky enough to see race. We now have Lorenzo, Stoner, Pedrosa to name but a few and, after Moto3 race yesterday, the future of MotoGP looks phenomenally bright for the next 14 years at least with Vinales, Sisiss, Olivera and Alex Rins all stars in the making - and bear in mind Arthur Sisiss was only a month old when Valentino Rossi made his debut... so in that case, our future prodigy's are literally only just being born, proof if ever it was needed that time moves on!


The one thing I really do hope is that the fans that Valentino Rossi has attracted to MotoGP remain and continue to grow with the sport - there was racing before VR and there will be racing after, and it will still be exciting!


Now, the biggest disappointment of the weekend was the attitude of some of the users of social media. What began late last year as banter between mainly Rossi and Stoner fans reached a new low this weekend. 


Sadly its the Yellow fans that have been the downright rudest both on Facebook and Twitter. One user posting a general question on one fan page only to be met by an incredible response from a VR fan - who ran away with her fingers in her ears when people lept in - that prompted me to post a response in defence of his perfectly simple question.


Not all of the Yellow Army are this way inclined, so I'm not generalising in any way - most VR fans are absolutely some of the nicest people I know and am happy to call them friends. I wrote that she was 'the epitome of a blinkered Valentino Rossi fan' and I stand by that as I truly believe it. She will depart MotoGP when Valentino departs and good riddance to be honest.


To some there is no other rider out there and anyone who dares to question 'the messiah' will be immediately shot at dawn. Well I have news for them, VR is not the Messiah - or a very naughty boy - he's human, he's made a bad choice going to Ducati and he's also caused other riders to raise their game to such a level that he'd find it hard to dominate even if he was back on his beloved M1. His time is coming to an end, not at an end, but its coming - its only natural.


The vitriolic abuse that was directed at Casey Stoner, for example, over the weekend by the minority of the Yellow Army was beyond banter - it was ill-masked abuse. The reigning Champion hadn't even got off his bike before the finger-pointing and intensely personal abuse began. This is simply small-minded and crass. Sorry if this offends anyone but it's my blog and my opinion. Feel free to get a licence, get out on track and go and do better. This is not just because it's Casey, it's because he's a motorcycle racer - nothing more nothing less.


Some of the stuff I've seen about Dani Pedrosa and his Yachting Exam have been nothing short of brilliant, proper banter and harmless fun. A massive difference to what others receive...


Sure I have riders I prefer over others, I'm no big fan of Jorge Lorenzo or Josh Brookes to name but two, but I have the utmost respect for them as riders and I certainly wouldn't think of subjecting them to some of the stuff I've seen this weekend as I know I couldn't do any better!. 


I'm disappointed by the minority this weekend, one or two are genuinely have no clue about racing in general and it shows.


Everyone is welcome to their opinion - some just need to take a breath, understand the concept of respect, and consider what they're saying and how it may make them look before pressing send...


Thanks for reading. Rant over.

BSB - Is It Providing With What We Want?

BSB – Is it providing what we want?

First of all I want to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas. I trust you all had a good few days.

My apologies for neglecting my blog over recent weeks but due to work and parental ill-health it meant my attentions were required elsewhere. Thanks for your patience. I hope we’re back on track now.

Some interesting and thought provoking reading this week just here simply asking if the British Superbike show, as a whole, is enough to keep us paying fans and armchair racers happy. This got me thinking..... Are the guys in charge of the series, Jonathan Palmer and Stuart Higgs, REALLY doing enough to keep us paying fans happy? Well I, for one, think they are.

Looking at British Superbikes as it stands today like most of you, purely from a fans perspective, I would suggest BSB is in the best shape it’s ever been. In its current incarnation it is leagues ahead of where it was prior to MSVR taking over. Attendances and levels of competition are on the up and just looking around the paddock at the Hospitality units, they would not be out of place at a World level event.

Is the racing any different from previous seasons? No. Not through the course of the season. The Showdown system has certainly brought more meaning to the last 3 rounds of the season rather than the occasional air of inevitability which I’ve spoken about previously. There will no longer be the exceptional season where, as in 2009 for example, one team were head and shoulders above the competition. On the whole, the racing continues to be closer than most other series across the world. We have the riders, teams and organisers to thank for that by keeping the competition strong and honest.

If we look at the TV coverage our sport has received over recent seasons, such coverage would have been unheard of when we were perceived as a true minority sport. TV has allowed us a closer look at the racing in general. The coverage itself is, in the main, on the ball. With regular inputs from team managers and good analysis from ex racers, it’s as good we could expect it to be. We, the fans, are fortunate that a sport which doesn’t figure hugely on the back pages of mainstream newspapers is given such a large amount of live airtime each season. Without this coverage, I believe the sport would not have been as strong as it is now. So, for huge fans like me, for whom this is their very favourite sport, it’s a godsend to be able keep right in touch with the racing when not able to make the meetings in person. I genuinely look forward to the coverage and commentary which add to the whole package.

Coupling the coverage with the number of reputable websites, blogs, forums and social media outlets which are available at the touch of a button means that, whether they like it or not, we are now closer than ever to the riders, teams and series personnel who grace our sport. No longer are the riders the sole face of BSB. The mechanics, the crew chiefs, the team bosses and the PR people are all embracing the social media aspect and are happy to interact with the fans.  Almost every team and rider has a Facebook Fan Page or Twitter page to help them get their news out to the fans and to put across an opinion, some more eloquently than others.  More common at this time of year, we learn about the off-season training exploits. Today we were presented with the arm-pump operations, with accompanying photographs, courtesy of Dan Linfoot. This is truly an unprecedented insight!

What Lone Wolf was getting at is time spent at the track by paying fans; the ‘show’ if you will. What can the organisers do to make race day more interesting? Do we really spend ‘hours sitting around waiting for something to happen’? As Lone Wolf rightly says, we spend more hours building up to the weekend events than we ever did before. Gone are the days when we just had MCN or Bike Sport News to kindly inform us of days old news. We now have the very latest information at our finger tips direct from the teams during testing and, with the introduction of live timing and BSB Radio; the whole build-up experience couldn’t be any more complete. This means you can arrive at the circuit on a Sunday morning with the same knowledge as those in attendance from the Saturday too.

I think the time at the track is quite well managed by the organisers and, consequently, I struggle to see what else they can do. I’ve never ever been bored at a meeting, which is what the article implies to a degree. Race day for  example gives you all classes morning warm-up, pit lane walkabout and an hour or so break for lunch for a wander round and all of a sudden its race time what more could you want? And with the dulcet tones of the incredible Fred Clarke to accompany you through the day really makes it a day to remember. The one thing I maybe would like to see is more demo laps during the lunch break to serve as reminders to the older fans of series past and as an education of the history of our sport for younger and newer fans. That aside, I genuinely think that c. £30 for a Race Day ticket is good value for money and, as with most things, the day is what you make it.

Lone Wolf talks about the presenters, the package as a whole and more controversy to feed the media to spice things up. The presenters do a fine job, Tony Carter maybe not everyone’s cup of tea I’m sure but he does a good job anchoring 5hrs plus of live coverage. The TV commentary team in particular a partly responsible for making the racing an even more worthwhile watch, Jack and James work so well together and bring good humour and genuine excitement to the proceedings too. Does the racing need spicing up? Do we need to see riders going at each other in the media between races, pointing the finger and making accusations? I’m sure some people do, but personally I’m not interested. I want to see disagreements settled on the track, not played out through the media with all the spin and PR available to them these days. I believe the series organisers or potential title sponsors don’t want that either. There is enough negative news these days in general life and BSB is my escape from that. I don’t subscribe to the ‘he said this - he said that’ scenario. In my opinion, it simply isn’t the way things should be played out in professional sport. That sort of approach is surely better suited to the Primary School playground. I’m not saying that riders should be nice to each other, far from it, but I’m all for their disagreements being settled on the track and not in the Race Directions office.

I fully respect the views of Lone Wolf, but can only see his article as a ‘dig’ at the series organisers. I don’t see how it’s written with the fans in mind rather than from a media perspective. Is the spectacle of race day really lacking some NASCAR razzmatazz? Do we want scantily-clad dancing girls on the start line or Fred Clarke bellowing ‘Gentlemen, start your engines’? How about Le Mans-style starts? Do we actually need any of that? Or are you, like me, quite happy with the ‘Show’ on a Sunday? I’m not suggesting that everything is perfect with BSB but, overall, I think the people in charge are doing all they can to keep us, the paying fans, well entertained.

Thanks for reading.